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Under Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, Chelsea used a defensive strategy but Maurizio Sarri is in the process of changing Chelsea identity. The Italian manager is currently in the process of creating a team which focuses on a high tempo attacking game but there are several stumbling blocks which are preventing him from doing so.
The Blues have some fantastic players in many positions but in a few positions, they need an upgrade on the players they have at the moment.
Chelsea already signed Christian Pulisic for around £58 million but the US international will only join the club next summer after spending the remainder of the season on loan at Borussia Dortmund.
Sarri needs a few players in January to ensure that his side finishes in the top 4 comfortably while also challenging for the three cup competitions they are in at the moment. The following five players are rumoured transfer targets who could join the club this month. All five transfers may not materialise but fans can expect at least a couple of them to happen.
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#5. Elseid Hysaj
Elseid Hysaj came through the academy of Empoli before playing for the clubs’ first team under Maurizio Sarri. He followed his manager to Napoli in 2015 and could potentially reunite with his former manager at Chelsea.
Chelsea is currently reliant on Cesar Azpilicueta for the right-back position. The Spaniard is extremely reliable defensively but there have been doubts about his contribution to this new look Chelsea side going forward. Sarri’s only other option at the moment at right-back is Davide Zappacosta but the Italian doesn’t fancy his compatriot at all based on the evidence of the season so far.
Hysaj was linked with a summer move to Chelsea but according to the player’s agent, Carlo Ancelotti blocked the move and there apparently also a clause which prevents Chelsea from signing any player or staff from Napoli.
The Albanian is no longer a nailed on starter at Napoli and there is interest in the player from Atletico Madrid as well. However, if Napoli is open to selling to Chelsea, then Hysaj would jump at the chance of reuniting with a manager who knows him well.
#4. Leandro Paredes
Leandro Paredes is another player Sarri is familiar from his time in the Serie A. However, Paredes did not play under Sarri in Italy despite playing for Empoli for a year on loan.
The Argentine international moved to Italy in 2014 and played for Chievo Verona, Roma and Empoli. He came to fore during the 2015/16 season when he was playing for Empoli on loan and in the following season, he established himself as a key player at Roma in a season where they challenged for the league title. However, in 2017, he left Itay to join Russian Premier League side Zenit Saint Petersburg despite interest from clubs in Europe’s Top 5 leagues.
It looks like his time in Russia could come to an end in January as Chelsea are seeking central midfielders to allow Cesc Fabregas to move to Monaco and to compensate for the injury to Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
The 24-year-old has all the traits necessary to play in Sarri’s midfield but it remains to be seen how quickly and how well he can make the transition from Russia to England.
#3. Nicolò Barella
Unsurprisingly, Nicolo Barella is also a player from the Serie A targetted by Maurizio Sarri. The 21-year-old midfielder is an Italian international who plays alongside Chelsea’s Jorginho for the national team and a transfer uniting the two players at club level could bode well for the Azzurri.
The Cagliari man has been linked with a transfer to Liverpool previously but he has been heavily linked with Chelsea and Manchester United in January.
It is rumoured that Man Utd are willing to pay £30 million for the Italian but Chelsea, on the other hand, is willing to go as high as £45 million for the player’s services.
Barella is capable of playing is multiple midfield positions and this makes him a valuable asset. He is also a perfect blend of a technically gifted player with a good engine.
Sarri has openly admitted that he needs more midfielders due to the impending departure of Fabregas but will he sign both Barella and Paredes in January?
#2. Hirving Lozano
For most Chelsea fans, the most obvious gaping hole in the squad is that of a striker but Sarri seems to be happy with his striking options despite playing Eden Hazard as a false-nine on numerous occasions.
Recently, the Italian manager said that his side needs more wingers although he can choose from Eden Hazard, Willian, Pedro and Callum Hudson-Odoi at the moment. In addition, Christian Pulisic will join the squad next summer.
The Italian may have a point as Willian and Pedro are in their thirties and both players don’t contribute with enough goals and assists which increases the workload on Eden Hazard.
The Blues has been linked with a move for PSV Eindhoven’s Hirving Lozano who could be made available for the right price.
The Mexican rose to fame with his winning goal against Germany at the World Cup but he has been an excellent performer at club level as well with 34 goals in 61 games for his current club.
The 23-year-old who can play on either wing even scored against both Spurs and Inter Milan this season in the Champions League.
#1. Gonzalo Higuain
Although Maurizio Sarri stated that he’s content with his striker options, it seems like Alvaro Morata’s nightmare stint in the Premier League could be coming to an end this month with a move back to Spain with Sevilla.
The Spaniard was not even in the squad for Chelsea’s defeat to Spurs in the first leg of the semifinal of the league cup despite being fit. This is a clear indication that his future could lie elsewhere.
If Morata will leave Chelsea, then there is no way the club will go through the rest of the season without signing a new striker.
Chelsea has been linked with Mauro Icardi, Edinson Cavani and Gonzalo Higuain in January with the rumours linking the club with the Juventus striker on loan at Milan gathering pace in recent days.
Higuain was a target for Chelsea in the summer but he opted to sign for Milan on loan. However, it looks like he will end his loan stint early to play under Sarri once again.
The Argentine scored 38 goals in 42 games under the current Chelsea manager in 2015/16 and it was the best goalscoring season of his professional career. Chelsea fans will be hoping he can at least score two-thirds of that tally in a season in the Premier League.
